Support truly
independent journalism
Our mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.
Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.
Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.
Louise Thomas
Editor
The West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin has argued for the Democratic Party to nominate a Republican as their presidential candidate in a bid to beat Donald Trump.
In recent weeks, calls for incumbent president Joe Biden to step down have grown ever louder, amid concerns over the president’s health and cognitive abilities.
Current polling suggests that Trump, who was beaten by Biden in 2020 after serving one controversy-laden term in the Oval Office, is on course to win a second term this November.
In an essay published by The New York Times, Sorkin drew parallels between real-world events and his acclaimed TV series, which focused on the goings-on at the White House during the administration of Democrat Jed Bartlet (Martin Sheen).
Describing a plotline in which Bartlet chose to run for re-election despite being diagnosed with a serious illness (multiple sclerosis), Sorkin said that the plotline would have played out differently if his fictional opponent was a figure like Trump.
“What if Bartlet’s opponent had been a dangerous imbecile with an observable psychiatric disorder who related to his supporters on a fourth-grade level and treated the law as something for suckers and poor people?” He wrote. “And was a hero to white supremacists? We’d have had Bartlet drop out of the race and endorse whoever had the best chance of beating the guy.
“The problem in the real world is that there isn’t a Democrat who is polling significantly better than Mr Biden. And quitting, as heroic as it may be in this case, doesn’t really put a lump in our throats.”
Sorkin then proposed that the Democrats nominate former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, in an attempt to unify the US public and fend off a Trump victory.
“Nominating Mr Romney would be putting our money where our mouth is: a clear and powerful demonstration that this election isn’t about what our elections are usually about, but about stopping a deranged man from taking power,” he wrote. “Surely Mr Romney, who doesn’t have to be introduced to voters, would peel off enough Republican votes to win, probably by a lot.
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days
New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days
New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled
“The double haters would be turned into single haters and the Nikki Haley voters would have somewhere to go, Ms Haley having disqualified herself when she endorsed the leader of an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow the government.”
He continued: “Does Mr. Romney support abortion rights? No. Does he want to aggressively raise the minimum wage, bolster public education, strengthen unions, expand transgender rights and enact progressive tax reform? Probably not. But is he a cartoon thug who did nothing but watch TV while the mob he assembled beat and used Tasers on police officers? No.”
Sorkin went on to argue that the “choice” is “between Donald Trump and not-Trump”.
“The not-Trump candidate needs only one qualification: to win enough votes from a cross section of Americans to close off the former president’s Electoral College path back to power,” he wrote.
“The writing staff would tell me I was about to jump the shark, that this is a West Wing fantasy that would never, ever happen. But as [cast member] Bradley Whitford used to say, ‘Isn’t the biggest fantasy on television a mafia boss in therapy?’ The Democrats need to break the glass and this is a break-glass plan, but it’s more than that. It’s a grand gesture. A sacrifice. It would put a lump in our throats. But mostly, it would be the end of Donald Trump in presidential politics.”
